Wednesday, September 21, 2016

“Casting the brick to attract jades” is a metaphorical elaboration for “Attract-Hire-Retain-Train- Organize” talent manage life cycle.People are always the most invaluable asset in any organization. Talent management and human capital investment are strategic imperative for companies’ long term growth. Digital leaders should always ask themselves whether the workplace is healthy enough to attract the best and brightest. If any talent gaps existing, what’re the root causes behind it? Having the right person with the right capability in the right position at the right time is always one of the biggest challenges facing any business. Should you apply one of the famous 36 stratagems to develop strategic talent management practices via asking “ Can you cast the brick to attract Jades”? (Having something useful to attach something precious and extremely valuable)

Build alternative digital recruiting channels (the useful bricks) to innovate and recruit the best and the brightest for the future (the jade): Often, many organizations are not ready for the digital transformation yet, at least from the people management perspective. Project or short term needs are over considered than profile fit for the organization's long term needs. Somehow most companies experience a sudden, immediate, instead of planned shortage of people with specific knowledge or skill that can be workable in a very quick period of time and want them for "yesterday." On this scenario usually, they hire the first person they are able to find that can join right away. Time, not quality is the main driver. Because they lack the long term staff planning or the digital ready mindsets and talent solutions (the bricks) to put the right people (the jade) with the right capability in the right position to solve the right problems. To innovate means to see things differently. Don’t be afraid to look above, below, and outside of the talent pools that you are seeing. Many great candidates can be recognized by wise eyes, otherwise, they would have likely been given a pass by an Automated HR System or overly rigid process, and outdated mindsets.

Design the tailored leadership development program or talent training program (the useful bricks) to attract talent (the jade) and keep people digital-fit: Companies seem to be averse to continuous training of their employees.The other talent management dilemma is: What if you train the people, and then they left? As a result, the employees engagement is low, and the skill set shortage is the reality. It could be one of the main causes of the broken staffing management cycle. An employee's "book value" can be viewed as a function of what investments have been made in them and how they bring high-than expectation value. Develop your teams and their abilities so that they can do more for your organization. If you invest in you people, create a positive environment, and make a commitment to them, they are more likely to stay and make better contribution. It is important to create a culture of continuous learning for employees, so their knowledge and experience continue to grow.

Have open minded talent managers (the useful bricks) to attract high potential candidates (the valuable jade): The role of talent managers & HR becomes more strategic than ever due to the "VUCA" new normal of the digital age. If each one of them can hire people brighter and smarter than themselves, the organization is brightened, if the opposite is true, the organization will dim down. Especially today, the speed of change is accelerated, what matters now is innovation and it takes open-minded talent managers and innovative approach to hire creative talent, inspire innovation, and build a creative workplace. The valuable digital professionals or self-motivated leaders can make positive impacts on business culture; stay current in their profession; freely innovate, create new efficient ways of working; mentor and coach others. And the company gives people some responsibilities and how well an employee could perform to deliver these responsibilities, even beyond expectation, would be the true value of the employee.

“Casting the brick to attract jades” is a metaphorical elaboration for “Attract-Hire-Retain-Train- Organize” talent manage life cycle and apply the ancient stratagem to the modern business management. Be open minded, invest people as human capitals, have long term people strategy and planning, optimize talent management processes to get the business digital ready.